Thursday, December 08, 2005

Timeframes

Regardless of the "timeframes" of the data in your charts (i.e., hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.), the basic principles of technical analysis endure. Opportunities exist in any time frame. But customized settings of the technical analysis tools are needed for each time period.

On the weekly chart, the scale interval on the time axis is one week. On the monthly chart, correspondingly, every bar shows price behavior for one complete month. It is obvious that in order to cover a longer period of time and to be able to analyze long-term trends, one has to compress the price behavior. A weekly chart, for example, can cover a period of five years and more, the monthly chart can cover twenty years or more. This is how the analyst manages to see far ahead of her-/himself and that is how s/he can assess the market in terms of the long-term opportunities, which are really valuable while conducting the technical analysis.

The order of studying price chart is very important for deep analysis. It is wise to start by analyzing long-term charts and then move slowly to short-term charts. There is less "noise" on the long periods, that is why graphic models, basic trend lines and different levels of support or resistance are seen more clearly. This accounts for the type of work with data time periods. If we start studying short-term market, later on, as the volume of analyzed data expands, we will have to reconsider the conclusions several times at least. In the long run, short-term results may even change completely after long-term charts have been studied. If we start analyzing longer periods first, we can establish where the market is in terms of a long-term perspective. After that, we could then turn to chart studies which cover shorter periods of time. That is how an analyst goes from "macro" to "micro" analysis. At the final stage of the analysis, we determine the point of "entry into the market", i.e., the point of opening a position. The shorter the last analysis stage is, the more precisely one can determine this entrance point.

Trading SystemA trading system (TS) is a set of instructions which advise opening or closing trading positions based on the results of technical analysis. A trading system allows to exclude randomness in the trading process. Strict adherence to the system permits to rule out the emotional factor in the trade. For this reason, one must follow all recommendations of the system strictly even if for all that a potentially profitable position will not be opened.

The first thing you need to do when creating a trading system is to select time periods, or working timeframes, you will work with. A lot of restrictions in this respect come from the starting deposit and principles of capital management. Long-term periods are accompanied by lesser "financial noise" than shorter periods. Technical analysis performed for long term periods is more accurate and provides a lesser number of false incitements. Long-term periods are preferable in terms of successful working, but, however, they require a larger starting deposit. Shorter timeframes are characterized by greater noise, but, hence, the technical analysis is less accurate and gives out more false signals.

In cases of a modest starting deposit, it is not recommended to direct one’s attention in trading to long timeframes, it is better to try medium and short ones first. On longer time periods price fluctuations are not as evident, but, in fact, these fluctuations may be significant enough so as to "eat up" the entire starting deposit. Thus, the first restriction for the trading system is the starting deposit that determines the choice of the working timeframe. Please bear in mind that the settings of analytical instruments for each of the periods are to be selected individually. Besides, if performing analysis for short timeframes, the requirements to the analytical instruments have to be as exacting as possible.

The second task of the trading system is to define the entry point with the help of technical analysis. In any TS, irrespective of analytical instruments, the analysis must be started from a large timeframe and pass gradually to shorter ones. The first thing to be defined is the current market conditions as a whole.

For instance, if our trade is guided by the trend, we first determine the global trend. Even if a signal to buy comes at the time of a downward trend, a position should not be opened in such a trading system.

After that, the market conditions for periods of lesser order are analyzed. Eventually, the working timeframe is analyzed. If there appears a signal confirmed on long timeframes, one can open position immediately. However, to define the optimal entry point one can perform additional analysis on shorter timeframes.

The most important task of TS’s is to determine the exit point. Any system must provide not only the signal to open a position, but estimated levels of profit, as well. Order Take Profit should be placed next to this level. It is also necessary to identify the level of stop loss for the case when the market starts to move in an opposite direction. Place the Stop Loss order at this level. In other words, the TS must define exactly, up till which level the position should be held open in order to receive maximal profit, and define mechanisms for loss stopping in case of an unfavorable development of the market.